A device for storing cryogenic fluid including a sealed internal shell delimiting the storage volume for the cryogenic fluid, a thermal insulation layer disposed around the internal shell, and a sealed external shell disposed around the insulation layer. The space between the internal shell and the external shell being under vacuum, the external shell resting on the periphery of the thermal insulation layer, and the thermal insulation layer having an insulating material of the “pressure-responsive” type. Also including a protective shell disposed around the external shell, and at least one supporting component having an end connected rigidly to the internal shell and a second end rigidly connected to the protective shell such that such that the assembly having the internal shell. The external shell and the thermal insulation layer under vacuum is suspended in the protective shell via the at least one supporting component.

In one aspect the present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a cryogenic pressure vessel. The method may include providing a metal lined, composite wrapped vessel which has a boss. The method may further include securing an inlet to the boss, and then encapsulating the metal lined, composite wrapped vessel within a metallic layer in a vacuum controlled environment to form an encapsulated inner tank subassembly. The method may further include securing at least one support to an exterior of the encapsulated inner tank subassembly, and within the controlled vacuum environment, applying a metal coating over the encapsulated inner tank subassembly and the at least one support to form a metal coated, encapsulated inner tank subassembly. The method may further include, within the controlled vacuum environment, encapsulating the metal coated, encapsulated inner tank subassembly within a metallic vacuum jacket, which forms the cryogenic pressure vessel.

A fluid storage container includes an inner vessel part having a first interior space (S1) for storing a fluid, an outer vessel part having a second interior space (S2) that accommodates the inner vessel part and spaced apart from the inner vessel part outwards, and a suspension part provided between the inner vessel part and the outer vessel part, one side of which contacts the inner vessel part, and an opposite side of which contacts the outer vessel part. The suspension part includes an inner member, one end of which is coupled to the inner vessel part and which extends from the one end thereof outwards, and an outer member, one end of which is coupled to the outer vessel part, which extends from the one side thereof inwards, and coupled to the inner member. The outer member is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity that is lower than that of the inner member.

Storage systems and methods of manufacturing and using the same. A storage tank is provided with an inner vessel, an outer vessel, and a support system between the vessels. The support system may comprise a repeating pattern of openings that effectively lengthens the heat path between the inner and outer vessels.

A method of storing liquid hydrogen employs a tank with inner and outer shells. A support beam with its ends supported in endwalls of the outer shell extends through a central sleeve in the inner shell. Raised formations on the support beam engage the interior of the sleeve to support the inner shell within the outer shell. The sealed space formed between the shells inhibits heat conduction into the liquid hydrogen held in the inner shell. Pins extending transversely through the support beam prevent turning of the support beam in its endwall supports and turning of inner shell about the support beam. Getter material and radiation shielding placed about the support beam within the sleeve of the inner shell afford additional impediments to heat transfer into the inner shell.

A fluid storage and pressurizing assembly includes a storage receptacle and a pump assembly. The storage receptacle includes an inner vessel defining a cryogen space for storing a fluid at a storage pressure and a cryogenic temperature, an outer vessel surrounding the inner vessel, and an insulated space between the inner vessel and the outer vessel, and a pump assembly. The pump assembly includes a pump immersed in the cryogen space having an inlet for receiving a quantity of fluid from the cryogen space, and an outlet for delivering the fluid therefrom. The pump assembly further includes a pump drive unit for driving the immersed pump, the pump drive unit being at least partially disposed within a space defined by the storage receptacle.

The invention relates to an insulated chamber comprising at least one element that may operate at sub-ambient temperature, the space around the element(s) being filled with solid insulation and means for injecting a gas containing at least 95 mol-% nitrogen into the insulation, at least some of the gas-injection means opening at a position vertically above at least one element to insulate.

A cryogenic hydrogen storage vessel includes an outer vacuum vessel, a reinforcement ring on the outer vacuum vessel, an inner pressure vessel inside of the outer vacuum vessel, and a vacuum space between the outer vacuum vessel and the inner pressure vessel. One embodiment of the cryogenic hydrogen storage vessel includes an outer vacuum vessel; a hump-shaped reinforcement ring on the outer vacuum vessel, the hump-shaped reinforcement ring including an external hump portion that protrudes from the hump-shaped reinforcement ring and an internal recess in the hump-shaped reinforcement ring; an inner pressure vessel inside of the outer vacuum vessel, a vacuum space between the outer vacuum vessel and the inner pressure vessel, and a composite support ring in the vacuum space extending from the hump-shaped reinforcement ring on the outer vacuum vessel to the inner pressure vessel, the composite support ring nested in the recess in the hump-shaped reinforcement ring.

A cryogenic dewar may include an inner tank and an outer tank. The cryogenic dewar may further include a plurality of trunnion mounts. A first four of the trunnion mounts may be coupled between a front half of the inner tank and a front half of the outer tank. A second four of the trunnion mounts may be coupled between a rear half of the inner tank and a rear half of the outer tank. The trunnion mount may be further strengthen with a plurality of pie-shaped reinforcing pads welded to each other and to an outer surface of the inner tank.

The invention provides improvements on thermal performance of multilayer insulation for hot and cold feedlines. Insulation on feedlines has always been problematic, and can perform ten times worse than tank insulation contributing as much as 80% of total system heat leak. The poor performance of traditional MLI wrapped on feed lines is due to compression of the layers, causing increased interlayer contact and heat conduction. The MLI performance is not only much worse than expected, but also difficult to predict. Spacer structures are presented which provide a well-defined, accurately characterized support between the thermal radiant barriers in a multilayer insulation. The invention provides a robust, structural insulation that is much less sensitive to wrap compression and installation workmanship allowing for more predictable, higher performance insulation structure.